Mission

A rock journalist, avid metal enthusiast, folk songwriter, and crowd suffer extraordinaire — Jacob David Payne was born with a progressive muscular disorder, living confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak. Communicating through notebook writings, he interviewed the likes of Korn, Disturbed, and Ozzy Osbourne. In 2011, he became a member of the theorized and immortalized “27 Club”. His legacy is that of a true enigmatic star. Because of him I embrace this journey, I embrace my light, and I embrace Jacob’s memory — spirit guiding me through with his usual defiantly fearless demeanor.

We met during a History of Rock class. Nearing the end, our professor began a lecture on The Beatles, specifically their experimental era, offering extra credit to attend his sitar concert. After what seemed like hours of chimes, incense, and long winded harp strings, well, needless to say Jacob had enough. I remember these huge, heavy wooden doors that he was determined to burst open — the doors that we will continue to walk through together; there were no limits for him, and there are no limits for me.

Jacob wrote lyrics for his band, Dark World Sunshine, listen on Myspace; and watch a documentary on him below: